You're reading: Russian, Ukrainian premiers could hold bilateral talks at CIS events

Moscow - The Russian and Ukrainian prime ministers could hold a bilateral meeting in the corridors of multi-party events in St.Petersburg on October 18-19.

"The schedule of bilateral meetings between Vladimir Putin and Mykola Azarov has not been finalized yet. But multi-party formats are traditionally used for bilateral meetings within the Commonwealth of Independent States," the Russian prime minister’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, earlier told Interfax.

The CIS countries’ prime ministers will meet in St.Petersburg on October 18-19. Also, the Eurasian Economic Community’s Interstate Council and the Supreme Body of the Customs Union will convene in St.Petersburg at the prime ministers levels, the Russian government’s press service reported. The Russian delegation will be led by Putin.

Meanwhile, Azarov told the press last week that he hopes to discuss Russian-Ukrainian gas agreements during his upcoming contacts with Putin on October 18.

This issues will also be raised in the talks between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents, he said. Viktor Yanukovych and Dmitry Medvedev will attend the second Ukrainian-Russian inter-regional economic forum in Donetsk, Ukraine, on October 18.

A source in the Russian government told Interfax that requests for talks with Putin had arrived from other prime ministers who will arrive in St.Petersburg, including the prime ministers of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and Moldova.

"Even if there is no time for individual bilateral meetings, the format of the events always allows the prime ministers to meet for brief talks," the source said.